Police officer’s open letter calling for an inquiry into the AFP: ‘I almost lost my life’

A FORMER AFP agent has written an open letter about how the murders he responded to were less horrific than the way he was treated by bosses.

Picture: AFP.

MURDERS, suicides, drowned children and other grisly scenes.

Victoria Police leading senior constable Dan, who didn’t was his last name published, has seen it all.

But nothing haunts him more than his alleged treatment by managers at the Australian Federal Police during his time as an agent, he said.

“I have been noted as a ‘shit magnet’ due to my constant involvement in some of the most notable incidents that have occurred in Victoria,” Dan told news.com.au.

“I was the first responder to (where) I located two murdered females,” he said.

“These two females who were sisters were violently raped, murdered and grotesquely mutilated by a repeat convicted sex offender who resided next door.”

Dan said he also “resuscitated two Burmese children who drowned” at a beach, responded to several suicides, and allegedly saw someone deliberately and repeatedly drive over a child.

But according to Dan, nothing compares to the “horror and personal pain (he) endured at the hands of the AFP” when he worked for the organisation at Melbourne Airport and national headquarters in Canberra.

“I lost my identity, my career, my personal savings and almost my life,” Dan said.

READ: Suicide concerns for AFP agents

READ: AFP agents’ harrowing stories

READ: Push for inquiry into the AFP

READ: Inside the AFP

Dan has written an open letter to Senator Nick Xenophon to push for an inquiry into the AFP’s management of staff and mental health.

“I am prepared to read my allegations and treatment by the AFP in open parliament, cabinet or any public forum if required to assist with your guidance,” Dan wrote to Mr Xenophon in an open letter provided to news.com.au.

Dan is one of almost 100 AFP Agents, past and present, who have come forward about a mental health crisis within the organisation, after it was exposed by news.com.au.

The whistleblowers have shared their concerns over bullying, the wellbeing of members and inadequate welfare support within the organisation after an agent took her own life at the AFP Melbourne headquarters earlier this month.

In a statement to news.com.au the AFP said it “continues to maintain that the health and wellbeing of our people is the highest priority”.

“The strength of our organisation is vital in continuing to protect the Australian community. This is, and remains, our key area of focus for the future,” the AFP said.

“The AFP Commissioner has publicly acknowledged there have been issues with our culture in the past, and is committed to addressing these issues wherever they may arise.”

Mr Xenaphon last week committed to raising the “very serious allegations about how [the AFP] manages its employees” at the next Senate Estimates on February 28.

A change.org petition calling for an inquiry into the AFP has since been launched.

The AFP last week revealed it had received 95 complaint referrals to its Safe Place unit in the first 2.5 months after a review into bullying and sexual discrimination in the AFP was released in August last year. The updated figure is expected to be revealed at next week’s Senate Estimates.

OPEN LETTER FROM A FORMER AFP AGENT TO SENATOR NICK XENOPHON

Dear Sir,

My employment as an AFP agent is obviously one of hundreds if not thousands you will receive from present and past AFP members.

I have been employed as a police member (in the) Australian Army Reserve Military Police, NSW Police Force, Australian Federal Police, (AFP) Melbourne Airport, secondment from Victoria Police, and at present in the Victoria Police.

I have been exposed to so many deceased persons via suicide, murder and have been noted as a “shit magnet” due to my constant involvement in some of the most notable incidents that have occurred within Victoria.

I witnessed a vehicle drive through a violent brawl outside a Laverton licensed venue where the vehicle ran over a victim and his son several times.

I performed CPR on the father in front of his injured son for over 30 minutes while the intoxicated crowd shouted abuse and threw bottles at me.

The offender returned on a bicycle to watch me while a Victoria Ambulance helicopter landed and aided me before the male victim was pronounced life extinct while I continued CPR.

With this in mind they fail to compare to the horror and personal pain I endured at the hands of the AFP.

During my employment as a uniformed AFP agent at Melbourne Airport I was exposed to a large number of security concerns. I identified a large number of procedural errors with enforcement of border security.

I made contact with a AFP “confidant” which is a fancy word for an AFP unsworn member who you can talk to about ethical and or criminal conduct within the organisation.

Soon after this I experienced sustained bullying and victimisation from other AFP members in regards to being a whistle blower.

This included my clothing locker being moved around within the building several times with pictures and writing on it stating, “have a glass of shut the f*ck up’ stuck on the locker door, my personal clothing, personal items and AFP uniform being removed and strewn around the building. I had my correspondence locker glued shut. My correspondence locker being searched contrary to AFP regulations which I was not present at, with no record of why it was searched.

When I took extended period of sick leave, notes were written on my public roster: ‘Rat, dog, poof, cock sucker’. I repeatedly found hand written notes on my car and in my lockers calling me a “rat, poofter” and other explicit and derogatory names.

I returned to work to find my AFP personal gun safe empty. I was advised my firearm was seized despite being contrary to AFP guidelines. I was also informed that a senior sergeant was contacting previous work locations to substantiate personal rumours about me being a homosexual and any other information that was negative.

I was then posted to a public counter area in the airport on what was relayed to me by other members as being punishment by sergeants for being a rat as they allegedly believed I hated the post. I was excluded from shared meals and social events.

I had never felt so isolated as a police member or a person in my life. I was contemplating suicide and was unable to obtain any form of treatment of help from the AFP or Victoria Police.

I took all of my personal recreation leave some nine weeks and was ignored by AFP PRS investigators.

I was (later) advised by AFP management that (the AFP’s psychiatrist) would no longer be assisting me and that AFP local management had made a recommendation that I was unsuitable to remain with the organisation and would be transferred back to Victoria Police.

At that time, I was suffering anxiety, depression and was suicidal. I was abusing alcohol and gambling and my long-term partner was suffering from my mood swings and other depression related symptoms.

The AFP had abandoned me. No employment, no welfare support of any kind and no member of the AFP within any department would reply to my written emails or calls.

I continually wrote to the AFP for an outcome of my complaints but no person replied.

I submitted over four FOI requests over four years and received nothing that detail the alleged investigation or any form of outcome.

I continued to write to the AFP and Commonwealth ombudsman as well as numerous other federal and state government agencies and ministers.

The majority of my allegations involving named AFP offenders, witnesses and other material was not investigated and to date no further actions has been taken.

I received no medical treatment after the AFP removed (its psychologist) from providing services to me.

I only received a small Comcare payment for permanent impairment in 2013 which was vigorously challenged by the AFP and over 35 per cent of the amount awarded to me was aid to legal providers.

I was denied any form of natural justice, access to a fair investigation of my allegations, victimised for being a whistle blower, denied any form of assistance or reposting while the investigation was being conducted or after it was allegedly resolved.

My treatment by the AFP drove me to almost lose my wife, my job with the AFP, I lost countless thousand gambling and drinking. My mental health has deteriorated and the outcome of being a whistle blower has cost me any form of upgrading duties, personal and professional development or any form of training and or courses with my current employer Victoria Police.

I lost my identity, my career, my personal savings and almost my life.

The AFP’s discourages and avoids reasonable responsibility, duty of care or to protect it’s AFP agents and general staff, because of an archaic mentality of systematically ignoring complaints and suppressing those injured with avoidance and sheer neglect.

From the moment, I spoke to the AFP as a whistle blower my life changed forever and the result is a broken man, no financial savings, poor health and strained marriage.

This is only a summary of what happened to me within my employment with the AFP and after the AFP.

I am prepared to read my allegations and treatment by the AFP in open parliament, cabinet or any public forum if required to assist with your guidance.

I wish to speak publicly in memory of those families of AFP, other state and territory families who lost family members to PTSD related injuries and sadly suicide.

I am disgusted by the lack of any form of reasonable support and accountability I experienced as a whistle blower in the AFP.

With regards,

Dan.